High-Resolution Microwave and Infrared Molecular-Beam Studies of the Conformers of 1,1,2,2-Tetrafluoroethane

Abstract

High-resolution microwave and infrared molecular-beam spectra have been measured for 1,1,2,2-tetrafluoroethane (HFC134). For the higher energy, polar,C2symmetry,gaucheconformer, microwave spectra have been recorded for the normal and mono-13C isotopomers and analyzed to determine a C–C bond length of 1.512(4) Å, in good agreement with a recentab initiovalue (MP2/6-31G**) of 1.515 Å [S. Papasavva, K. H. Illinger, and J. E. Kenny,J. Phys. Chem.100, 10100–10110 (1996)]. A tunable microwave-sideband CO2laser and electric-resonance optothermal spectrometer have been used to measure the infrared spectrum of the ν6, C–C stretch of thegaucheconformer near 906 cm−1. Microwave-infrared double resonance and precise ground state combination differences provided by the microwave measurements guide the assignment of the spectrum. The observation of ac-type spectrum definitively establishes that the upper state vibration is ofAsymmetry in theC2point group. The spectrum is fit to a Watson asymmetric-top Hamiltonian to a standard deviation of 0.24 MHz. A weak perturbation shifts the line positions for transitions nearJ = Kc= 20 by as much as 12 MHz. The identity of the perturber is unknown. Pulsed slit-jet diode-laser spectra have been recorded for the ν16vibration of theanticonformer near 1127 cm−1. Ana- andc-type hybrid band is observed, consistent with aBusymmetry mode. Previous low-resolution studies have attributed the 1127-cm−1mode to either aBuor anAusymmetry vibration. A total of 522 nonblended transitions were assigned and fit to determine ground and excited state constants. The ground state constants ofA= 5134.952(65) MHz,B= 3148.277(27) MHz, andC= 2067.106(43) MHz are the first experimental determinations of the rotational constants for this conformer. Here, typeAstandard uncertainties are given in the parentheses.